Memoir

Rethinking the experience of journaling

ABOUTMemoir is a new kind of diary app that enables anyone to empty their mind, writing down instant notes, whenever they want throughout their day. Imagine that you just had a delicious meal with a loved one? Write how delighted you feel. You just finished a meeting and you are upset about the outcomes? Jot down few notes.All your notes are securely synced with your calendar so that you better understand the triggers of your emotions.

FRUSTRATIONOur lives are getting busier and busier, and so our mind. On one hand, we now have the technologies to track a lot of events in our life (number of daily steps, credit card transactions, meetup events attended...), but not yet regarding what's happening in our mind and reflect on it. On the other hand, some people still keep a diary into a physical notebook but what is the essence of it and how to integrate this experience into our habits and tools of the 21st century?

GOALReplacing or complementing the use of an analog diary with a digital one for those already keeping a diary. Encouraging anyone to start writing and to write more.Building an iOS app from scratch.

LOCATIONSan Francisco, CA, USA

DELIVERABLESNative iOS app including onboarding and main screens

How to advocate for the benefits?

Privacy no matter the mediumNo one wants their thoughts to be read without their consent. Privacy is at stake no matter it be a paper notebook or a mobile app.

Writing at the speed of the lightTo encourage anyone to get started and write more, it's key to be able to pull out the app and instantly jot down few notes.

In-context diaryNowadays with all the technologies and smart sensors surrounding us, why not integrate our memories into our everyday life moments? Going out from a meeting at work or a dinner with friends, let's write how I feel right after!

State of the Art

For some folks, a diary refers to a kitsch notebook with a lock, you receive at age 6

State of the Art

For others, a diary contain a lot of emotional memories

Adhoc solutions

Nowadays, some folks use the note app on their phone

Adhoc solutions

Or even their calendar!

Onboarding of Memoir app

How to translate the interactions of an analog diary to a digital one?

Natural mapping, Skeuomorphism...When I write a new note, I go to the next page on the right, assuming it's going to be blank.When I want to read my past notes, I go to the left pages, assuming that the more I turn the pages, the further it goes backward in time.When I use a bookmark, I assume it enables me to go straight to the last page I’ve written.

Gesture-based UIInspired by latest design patterns of apps relying mostly on gestures, Memoir has been thought based on gestures first. Instead of having buttons and other call-to-actions, all interactions are based on swipes and presses.

Step furtherMemoir is integrated within the native iPhone calendar (iCal). Whenever someone is writing down a note, it goes directly at the related time and date in their calendar.

How it works

Process

Excerpts from folks interviewed about their use or non-use of a diary: why do you keep a diary? How does it help you in your life? Why don't you keep a diary? What do you do instead?

Natural mapping, Skeuomorphism... How to translate the physical notebook interactions into today phone gestures, with swipes, long press and all?

Team demo day

Memoir has been programmatically built and animated with Swift (Xcode). Memoir uses iCal SDK to send text entries.